Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises - Brooding, Edge-of-Your-Seat, Exhilirating

Bruce Wayne, the billionaire philanthropist of Wayne
Enterprise, has turned into a recluse. It’s been 8 years since District
Attorney Harvey Dent’s (aka Two-Face) death for which Batman has assumed
responsibility. While lamenting in his solitude, Bruce (Christian Bale) meets a
jewel thief named Selina Kyle, known underground as the Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). Meanwhile, an
underground army is gradually taking Gotham down its knees, headed by a warlord
called Bane (Tom Hardy). He has
effectively disarmed the city by trapping its 3,000 police force in the sewer
tunnels.

For 3 long months, the city turns into a chaotic society with no
effective law enforcement. Moreover, a thousand of Gotham’s inmates has been
released to the streets. What’s worse, they want to segregate Gotham and its 15
million populace from the rest of the world to destroy the “corrupt” ways inherent in the governance
of the city, i.e. “to fight the decadence
of Gotham”. Bane eventually gets
hold of the 4 megaton nuclear reactor which, when unstable, becomes a fully
primed neutron bomb, with a destructive reach covering 6 miles. Needless to
say, this becomes an urgent matter because Bane wants to blow the city into
smithereens.

Bruce’s curiosity about the mysterious jewel thief has him
donning his cape again, but this leads him to Bane and his minions. A rookie
cop-turned-Special Agent John Blake (Joseph
Gordon-Levitt) turns to the hibernating Bruce for help. He somehow knows of
Wayne’s alter ego and the city is in dire need of a hero, what with
Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman)
falling ill. And would a dark knight turn his back on Gotham when its survival
is on the line?

Bruce Wayne steps back into the spotlight. With Wayne Enterprise running bankrupt, Wayne has to rise up from his seclusion.

The Catwoman triggers the return of Batman.

Christopher Nolan’s
final installment is an engaging ride into the psyche of retribution and
heroism. Despite its contemplative tone, Nolan deftly covers the iconic bubble
of these comic book characters, turning two-dimensional personas into real
people with plausible motivations. Alfred Pennyworth (the resplendent Michael Caine), Bruce’s butler, is
particularly heart-wrenching as he emotionally blackmails his “Master Bruce” against
becoming Batman again. Selina – the Catwoman – oozes with mischievous and
malignant charm as she slithers her “paws”
around Bruce, et.al. She believes that she is beyond redemption, thus she moves
around with nothing but self preservation in her mind. Tom Hardy (who gained 30 pounds for the role) is as menacing as the
Bane that I knew from comic books. In fact, Nolan and Hardy’s depiction of this
behemoth “beast” is astounding. He frightens me so. I am absolutely impressed
by how this film is able to retain the essence of comic characters the way they
were originally conceived.

SPOILERS!

There are moments of utter agony: when Bruce is overpowered
by Bane, demasking him, taking him prisoner, then breaking his back (his
vertebra protruding from his back). Bruce is left almost-invalid and thrown
into a pit alongside other prisoners (this pit was said to have been partly filmed
in the Indian city of Jodhpur). During a conversation with one of the inmates
who asks him why he doesn’t fear death, Bruce replies: “I fear dying in here while my city burns.” Despite a lingering
undertone of hopelessness, Nolan turns the exposition into one of endurance and
optimism; that no adversity is too difficult to overcome. And that human beings
– like Bruce Wayne – are capable of rising from personal and moral catastrophe.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays John Blake whose fascination with the "rich orphan" Bruce Wayne gives him clues as to Wayne's alter ego. Blake was an orphan himself. What's more appetizing is how his character is primed to give us a possible follow up featuring a famous sidekick!

Selina Kyle as the jewel thief.

Anne Hathaway as the adorably mischievous Catwoman.

Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate whose character I refuse to expound further as this will cramp your viewing pleasure. She plays a pivotal role and gives you one of those "ohmygosh" moments!

Don't worry, Armand. Batman won't end. The "end" here only refers to the Christopher Nolan trilogy, not the franchise. If this proves to be a great success, Levitt just might don the "Robin" cape very soon! :)

IDTS Cathy. Nolan is already prepping up for another franchise which is Superman. It will have sequels and he will be too busy to even think of resuming his presumed "ended" series. It makes me sad but delighted that he's taking on to produce the reboot for Superman [SUPERHERO FAN HERE].

Yes, I know so, Armand. Christopher Nolan's Trilogy of the Batman is done, dead, kaput! But not the franchise... there will be several other Batman flicks long before you and I have had our grandchildren. :)

PLAGIARISTS, BEWARE!

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Do NOT start a blog site if you're just going to prey on the work of others. It really isn't that hard to write your own material, you know. Grade school kids can do it.

STOP BEING PARASITES!

For the Nameless Nobodies!

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